Domestic violence survivors would leave shared service contracts without fees

Covered providers would release a survivor from a shared contract without charges. This covers shared contracts for utility, phone, or television service in New York. A written statement would be enough; providers could not demand abuse details, require another holder’s approval, insist on a separate account, or block release over overdue charges. They could not shift a primary account holder’s contract or bill to another holder. Requests to telephone, cable, and satellite providers would have to be made in good faith. Utility and wireless providers would have seven days; other telephone, cable, and satellite providers would have seven business days.

Phone providers could not condition release on blocking number transfers or raising rates on remaining lines. The number-transfer and rate limits cover shared wireless and telephone contracts; the device rule applies only to wireless plans. A person would still owe for a mobile device if they bought it or choose to keep it. Other responsibility for a wireless device would end when the provider releases the person from the shared plan.

Phone providers would hide outgoing communication records, and all covered providers would confidentially dispose of request information. Record hiding covers calls the survivor placed and texts they sent during a shared wireless or telephone contract; information disposal covers every listed service. If the survivor is not the primary account holder, the provider would have to say when it plans to formally notify that account holder. Communication records would be hidden within seven business days of the request, and submitted information would be disposed of within 30 days of receipt.